Help - I've written a draft - what do I do next?

[EPT Henry]

Hi All,

I am very new to all of this and have just found this website. It seems to fit nicely with the sort of book I am writing so thought I'd sign up and get involved.

I've written a draft and I am in the process of editing it for a second time now but I was hoping for advice.

What on earth am I meant to do next?

Ultimately I would love to have my book published but I am not sure on the steps from here onwards.

How many times should I edit it before I share it?
Who am I meant to share it with? Family and friends doesn't strike me as objective feedback.
Is it better just to edit it and try and find an agent? Or does the agent edit it?

So many questions!

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated! And please be patient, baby steps may be required!

Cheers

 

[Droflet]

Firstly Henry, welcome to Chons. Secondly, learn about this site. Involve yourself in Chrons, get a feel for how good it is, and then, when you have sufficient post, drop something on the crits section. Don't rush, and remember that writing isn't a dash it's a long, long journey. Best of luck to you.

 

[EPT Henry]

Thank you for the quick response.

So I could get something critiqued on here? That would be useful. I work at a university and I have thought about asking one of the creative writing profs to have a look but I wasn't sure if that'd help - does it matter if they don't like the genre do you think?

Any tips on starting points in terms of discussions to join?

 

[goldhawk]

Welcome to Chrons.

Neither agents nor editors want to edit anyone's work. You should always get your stories as polished as possible before submitting them. And they do not want work that has been already exposed to the public. Your best bet is to find a site where you can get it critiqued and there is limited access to it. Here on Chrons, the is a critique forum but you must have at least 30 posts before you can ask for a critique.

 

[Roy1]

Aside from web based groups like this there are face to face meeting groups scattered around the country, assuming you are in the UK. If you tell us your rough location maybe someone here can point you that way. There are also evening writing classes, which you pay for, but may help if there's nothing else locally. Skates on for these as they run at 'term time' and that's approaching fast. Some conventions, like Eastercon and Fantasycon also run writers groups for new authors. Have you ever attended a convention?

Best of luck whichever way.

 

[EPT Henry]

Thank you both for your responses. Ive never attended a convention but I think it would be useful. I get the impression there are lots of things I need to get up to speed on.

Regarding the writing groups I have found one in Nottingham, where I am based, but if I'm honest the idea terrifies me! It doesn't help that I am not the strongest reader, which is part of my motivation for writing a book actually, but definitely a hindrance.

Online forum sounds like a better option. At least that way it isn't face to face. Ha.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Hiya, welcome. The advice above is pretty spot on. Rarely does our first attempt at writing a book get to the level needed to get a publisher - which is to be expected, we don't expect to master anything else first try

Have a look around, see what's going on in General writing discussion etc, and perhaps in critiques. It's good to critique others' work, even if you don't think you have much to say, because it develops our own self-editing skills. (Plus when you get to 30 posts, you'll have some grateful people glad to crit back.)

It's a long haul, be warned and there are many avenues open to you, and possible ways forwards. But big congrats on completing the draft - many, many people don't get that far.

 

[EPT Henry]

Thanks for the advice. I'll check out the crit section and see if there is anything I could give a sensible opinion on.

 

[Dan Jones]

It's good to critique others' work, even if you don't think you have much to say, because it develops our own self-editing skills. (Plus when you get to 30 posts, you'll have some grateful people glad to crit back.)

Yep, this. If you hang around on Chrons for a while you'll quickly realise we're mostly all rather nice and altruistic, and it's very much a "you scratch my back, I scratch yours" type of place. So if there are some pieces on the crits board, then take a read of them, offer your honest opinion, ask some questions and generally immerse yourself in what's going on. You'll quickly get up to 30 posts and find that you've engaged with enough people that they'll be happy to take a look at your own stuff.

My only advice is not to worry about failing, because I reckon everybody on here has done just that at some point in the past!

Welcome aboard!

 

[Roy1]

Fantasycon is in Nottingham this autumn. I expect a few of us will be there and I will be on the TTA Press stand in the dealers' room.
Reading out your work is a skill you will need if you do get published so you need to lose that fear and where better than an audience in the same boat or who have been in that boat. Often MSS, or parts thereoff, are circulated by e mail prior to a meeting so reading aloud is not always necessary.
There may be an sf oriented group in Nottingham or Derby. There is also Sledge Lit due in Derby on 21 Nov.
East Midland Writers Group may also be useful

 

[Boneman]

Thank you for the quick response.

So I could get something critiqued on here? That would be useful. I work at a university and I have thought about asking one of the creative writing profs to have a look but I wasn't sure if that'd help - does it matter if they don't like the genre do you think?

Any tips on starting points in terms of discussions to join?

Not if the creative writing profs are anything like the ones I encountered on my MA - very heavily intellectual, biased towards 'literary fiction' and no real idea of what popular culture is...

Put the draft away in a drawer and write something else for a month, at least. Then dig it out and look at it with 'new' eyes. In that time you'll have enough postings here to let us see a sample, and you will get excellent feedback.

Join in any discussion that takes your fancy - any good at Limericks? You could check out the Playrooms. Mind you, you get no brownie points there, it's just for fun...

 

[EPT Henry]

Thanks for the links. I'll have to give FantasyCon a go. Will nip in and say hi!

I think you are right about getting over the fear. The irony is that in my job I have to do loads of presentations and pitches so speaking isn't a worry but I've just never been a good reader, especially out load. I kind of wrote this book with my younger self in mind for that reason.

All great tips, thank you

 

[EPT Henry]

Not if the creative writing profs are anything like the ones I encountered on my MA - very heavily intellectual, biased towards 'literary fiction' and no real idea of what popular culture is...

Put the draft away in a drawer and write something else for a month, at least. Then dig it out and look at it with 'new' eyes. In that time you'll have enough postings here to let us see a sample, and you will get excellent feedback.

Join in any discussion that takes your fancy - any good at Limericks? You could check out the Playrooms. Mind you, you get no brownie points there, it's just for fun...

Interesting point about the academics. That was exactly my worry.

 

[Roy1]

A lot of creative writing courses at universities use authors as tutors. Eg Geoff Ryman was teaching at Manchester. Not sure if he still does. Chris Beckett teaches wrtiting and he is very approachable. I think Adam Roberts teaches but not certain without searching. You can do that if interested.
Also I was talking about evening classes not full blown academic creative writing courses.
Tony Ballantyne has a tips for new writers section on his website.

 

[EPT Henry]

Hi Roy,

Thanks for the names. The MA type course was in response to another point as I work at a university and had thought about approaching staff for feedback. Evening classes are something worth looking into though.

Thank you everyone for your help. If I'd known there was a community like this I would have registered 7 months ago when I started writing rather than waiting until now!

 

[prizzley]

Hi and welcome

Regarding the writing groups I have found one in Nottingham, where I am based, but if I'm honest the idea terrifies me!

Been there, done it, got the T-shirt. I suspect most people here have felt the same. But writing groups will welcome new members and no one demands perfection from a newbie. Go for it and good luck.

 

[chrispenycate]

I've just never been a good reader, especially out load.

I just love the typo - on the Web you upload and download information, at a reading you inload (other people's information) and outload (your own)

'T's all right, I just zero in on misspellings, grammar errors and functuation (punctuation rarely contains any puns, but as I do it, it can be amusing, thus the deformation) - it seems hard wired - while reading, and it brings me to a total halt. But I'm not generally let loose with my red pen anywhere except in critiques, although I have an open permission to correct hopewrites (which I do not use very often).

Consider joining in the seventy-five, one hundred and three hundred word challenges (mostly in 'writing challenges', to make them easier to find, but the Anon being in workshop). You get to actually finish a whole lot of different subjects, and submit them, and discuss them - and right now, vote for other people's. (what, me bully people?)

 

[EPT Henry]

I just love the typo - on the Web you upload and download information, at a reading you inload (other people's information) and outload (your own)

'T's all right, I just zero in on misspellings, grammar errors and functuation (punctuation rarely contains any puns, but as I do it, it can be amusing, thus the deformation) - it seems hard wired - while reading, and it brings me to a total halt. But I'm not generally let loose with my red pen anywhere except in critiques, although I have an open permission to correct hopewrites (which I do not use very often).

Consider joining in the seventy-five, one hundred and three hundred word challenges (mostly in 'writing challenges', to make them easier to find, but the Anon being in workshop). You get to actually finish a whole lot of different subjects, and submit them, and discuss them - and right now, vote for other people's. (what, me bully people?)

You know what - I looked at that word for quite a while and couldn't figure out why it didn't look right. At least it was in context!

 

[chrispenycate]

I meant to give you an internal link, too:- https://www.sffchronicles.com/xfa-blog-entry/2486/#comment-9720

 

[chopper]

welcome aboard, we all float down here....

sorry, channeling something odd there... i don't know about writers' groups in Nottingham, but i'll second Roy's advice to check in with Writing East Midlands. & get a ticket for SledgeLit in November, in Derby. well worth it, there will be workshops & all sorts.